Stopper rod for ladles



Patented June 18, 19.35'L

PATENT s'roPPER Ron Fort LADLEs l Harvey Boss Belding, Vandergrift, Pa.,assi/g'nor to4 American Sheet and Tin Plate corporation of New JerseyCompany, a

r Application myc, 1934, serial.Nm3-134,035

rolaims. (01122-485) l nozzle 4 is closed bya stopper-head 5 of iireinvention relates to stopper rods for-ladles, and moreparticularlyto'those devices which are used to open and close'the teeming aperturesof ladles containing vmolten iron or steel. Such 5 ladies, containing asthey dothe heat of metal from an open hearth, or other metal or refiningfurnace, must necessarily hold this heat a length of time suflicient forit to Abe poured into f suitable molds. The longer the time consumed forthis transferring operation, the more deleterious is the effect of themolten metal upon the stopper rod. This condition can be readilyappreciated from the fact that the temperature of the heat loi metal inthe ladle is usually more than a hundred degrees higher than the meltingpoint of the component metallic elements ofthe stopper rod, and oftenoccasions the failure or destruction of the latter.

It frequently happens that unforeseen circumstances (suchl as abreakdown in the hoisting crane) cause a considerable delay before theheat of molten metal in the ladle can be poured therefrom. Such a delayoften results in damage to or collapse of the stopper rod, and theconsequential loss of the heat It is among the objects of the presentinvention to provide a stopper rod which will readily withstandextremely high temperatures for a long extended period of time withoutany impairment of its proper functioning.

Another object is the provision of a stopper rod which is easilysupplied with an accessible coolant, and one which at the same time maybe cheaply and easily installed on existing types of ladle equipment,and prove very durable in service."

These and further objects will be apparent after referring tothedrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the device of the invention asapplied to a conventional type of ladle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line III--III and a lining 2 of rebrick, or other refractory n material. An aperture 3 is provided in thebot,- tom of the ladle A adjacent one of its sides and within whichthere is disposed a nozzle 4 of fire clay or other suitable refractorymaterial. This clay or graphite, the latter being suitably affixed to astopper rod assembly, generally indicated at B. vThe .stopper rodassembly B extends upwardly .to the top of the ladle A and is heldinalinement with theaperture 3 .by a support 6. A bar 'I is omer?,

suitably mounted on the outer side of the shell If f of the ladle A, andis moved vertically by a pivoted hand lever 8. The vertical movement ofthe bari serves to raise and lower the stopper rod assembly yB throughthe usual connection forming part of a conventional ladle construction.

The raising andlowering of the stopper rod assembly B permits thestopper-head 5 to open close the aperture-,3, as desired.v

According to the teaching of the present inagainst excessive heat, thuspreventing its destruction.

Immediately below the annular flange I2 on the tube It), a plurality ofradially extending pins I4l are provided for seating in suitablerecesses in the stopper-head 5, thus making a unitary con' struction. v

The upper extremity of the tube I0 is externally screw-threaded andcarries a plurality of relatively adjustable nuts I5. One of these nutsl5 serves to clamp the vrefractory sleeve-bricks I3 against-the annularflange I2, while the others serve to adjustably maintain the tube IU onthe support 6; k

A smaller tube I 6 is disposed within the tubeIU and extendssubstantially abovey the latter toA terminate in a coupling I I throughwhich a suitable coolant is supplied by a hose I8. The lower end of thetube I6 extends substantially to the corresponding portion of the tubeI0, but is left open for the circulation of the coolant. This end of thetube I6 'is preferably maintained in spaced relationship from the tubeI0 by radially extending lugs I 9 which may be integrally formed,

or otherwise. f

Due to the very high heat to which the tubes I 6 and I6 and theircomponent elements are ex' posed or may be exposed, `I prefer that theyshould be made of a suitable heat-and-oxidization resistant metal, suchas chrome or chrome-nickel steel. `As an example, 18 per cent chrome and8 per cent nickel is found to give very satisfactory results.

In operation, a suitable coolant, such as air or other gaseous medium,even water if so desired, is forced through the tube I6 at the lower endof which it contacts the plug I I in the tube III and flows upwardlybetween the tubes I and I6. The coolant may be suitably dissipated, orremoved, at the top of the tube I0, if desired, and a reverse directionof flow may be employed.

By removing the plug II in the outer tube I0, or making an aperture 20therein, and an aperture 2l in the stopper-head 5, I may dispense withthe inner tube I6. According to this embodiment, a gaseous coolant maybe directed entirely through the stopper rod assembly B and the nozzle 4in the bottom of the ladle A. This flow of gaseous coolant would, ofcourse, take place when the stopper-head 5 is employed to close thenozzle 4, and might also, if desired, be continued even when teemingfrom the ladle.

By the use of the device of the invention, heats of molten metal havebeen retained in the ladle for greatly elongated periods of time withoutdeleteriouseiect on the rod or any of its component elements, despitethe fact that the temperature of the liquid metal was often severalhundred degrees higher than the melting point of the metallic elementsof the rod assembly B.

The device of the invention is particularly useful on ladles of the typedescribed, but is susceptible to other adaptations. That is to say, itmay be used with equal facility on any vessel adapted to contain anddispense molten metal.

- While I have shown and described several specific lembodiments of myinvention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactlythereto, since various modifications may be made without departing fromthe scope of my invention, as deined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A stopper rod for ladles adapted to hold high-melting-point moltenmetals comprising a tube, a refractory sleeve for externally insulatingsaid tube, a stopper-head on the lower end of said tube, and acoolant-supply tube disposed within said rst named tube.

2. A stopper rod for ladles adapted to hold high-melting-point moltenmetals comprising a tube, a refractory sleeve for externally insulatingsaid tube, a stopper-head on the lower end of said tube, and acoolant-supply tube disposed within said iirst named tube and in spacedrelationship with respect thereto.

3. A stopper rod for ladles adapted to hold high-melting-point moltenmetals comprising a vertically disposed tube having its lower endclosed, a refractory sleeve for externally insulating said tube, saidvertically disposed tube having adjacent its lower end an annular flangefor maintaining said refractory sleeve in position, a coolant supplytube disposed within said iirst named tube, a stopper-head on the lowerend of said first named tube, and means for raising and lowering anassembly composed of said elements.

4. A stopper rod for ladles adapted to hold high-melting-point moltenmetals comprising a vertically disposed metallic tube having its lowerend closed, an annular iiange on said vertically disposed metallic tubeadjacent its lower end, a refractory sleeve for externally insulatingsaid tube, said sleeve being supported by said iiange, a coolant supplytube disposed within said first named tube, and a refractorystopper-head secured to the lower end of said rst named tube, saidstopper-head being adapted to close the pouring aperture of said ladle.

HARVEY ROSS BELDING.

